The Ice Chorus: A Novel

by Sarah Stonich

Book Overview

After an affair with a painter unravels her family and alters her life forever, filmmaker Liselle Dupre leaves Toronto for the lonely Irish coast to face her future, build a new life, and to heal. In... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316815551
• Release Date: February 2005
• Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 5.8"

Customer Reviews

Beautifully artistic and unique

At its most basic, The Ice Chorus is a story about a woman named Liselle who had an affair, and has travelled to Ireland to get away from her life. She's just gotten divorced from her husband, and her teenage son won't speak to her for more than a minute. The story unfolds moving from the present through flashbacks to show Liselle's life and how she met the man she loves, and how her relationship with her family changes, and how she ends up in the middle of nowhere on the Irish coast, asking other people how they fell in love, and documenting it all on film. That's a brief description of the plot. A very brief description, because The Ice Chorus is quite obviously more than just the plot. The cover of the book has a quote which says: "Any woman who ever had her heart cracked open by a man should read The Ice Chorus." But I completely disagree. I don't think having had your heart cracked is a requirement. I think every woman in general should read it (and men too). Yes it deals with love, and loss, and heartbreak; but it deals with more than just those emotions. It shows the fragility of women and the raw hurt of loss, but it also shows the immense strength all women possess, and the unexplainable bond of love. I can't rave enough about Sarah Stonich and her writing; it's just that amazing. The characters are real, and the emotions are heartbreaking and true. She captures these stories and people in a beautifully unique and impossibly artistic way. A million stars. Read it. And read her first book, These Granite Islands, too.

Fantastic literary novel

This was the best book I've read in years. The characters were real and engaging, the story weaved seamlessly between time-present and past events, and she includes only relevant sensual details that capture the reader from the first page. The prose was lush yet very readable, and the imagery breathtaking. Sarah Stonich has the gift of storytelling that seems lost nowadays in some of today's uninspiring and shallow fiction. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates real human emotion and the construction of a vivid scene.

One for the shelf

The Ice Chorus is one of my favorite novels. Maybe it's the alternating backdrop of a scorching Mexican beach and the cool, stony cliffs of Ireland. Perhaps it's the tragic love story shot through a lens shrouded in misinterpretation and family secrets. More likely it's the tightly-woven plot and multi-layered characters. This is one I'll re-read every few years and tuck safely on my shelf.

Loved This Book

I just finished this book tonight. Picked up in a book bin at a bargain store, it was a wonderful surprise. Lise could have been me. Married to an academic, self occupied with his career building, and his being gone long periods of time, it took me 30 years to move to where it took her(Lise) 18 . The wonderful manner in which the book unfolds, kept me glued to it for two days! Wonderfully written,I look forward to more books by this author.

A Woman Relives A Portion Of Her Life & Rediscovers Herself

The Ice Chorus is a retelling of events that shaped the life of the main character Liselle. We find her in Ireland as she tries to rebuild her life. Through her memories and conversations we find out the results of many of her life's decisions. She has fallen in love with another man and her marriage is in shambles. Her seventeen-year-old son communicates with her but we are certain that this relationship is damaged as well. With no other recourse perceived she travels to Ireland and awaits Charlie, the passionate artist who taught her to enjoy life and celebrate the beauty that she does not see for herself. As she rediscovers herself she rediscovers her deceased father's past and the secrets that were taken to the grave only to be rediscovered by Liselle. We live life through her eyes and witness vibrant flashbacks and snippets of conversation that often lead us into a dance with her emotions. We can see how and why she has changed and now we will find out where she will go from this point forward. This book can be deemed poetic storytelling or even a journal of sorts. It is told in a way that will inspire you to live the moment and paint what you have seen. There are so many ideas and emotions that make up this "spiritual paint" but at the conclusion you can see that Liselle has grown even more than she could have imagined as she discovers the truth. Reviewed by Tyrone Vincent Banks of Betsie's Literary Page.